Charlas y Comidas

Humanising focus groups and interviews

Bibliographic Data

ID2404302
AuthorsYecid Ortega (0000-0002-4039-074X, Queen's University Belfast, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume24
Issue4
Pages773-792
Publication date2024-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueQualitative Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1468-7941 • E-ISSN: 1741-3109
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/14687941231176947
OpenAlexW4378831244
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited37

Qualitative research has utilised focus groups and interviews to gather information from participants while conducting ethnographic research. This article explores the potential of alternative forms of collecting data that are more in line with the participants' feelings, emotions and expectations. Charlas (chats) and Comidas (meals) were utilised in an ethnographic study with English teachers and their students in marginalised high schools in Bogotá, Colombia. I found that opening a safe space for participants to share their ideas, suggestions and comments while chatting informally or having a meal encourages leadership of the research process. This generated a sentiment of trust and bond which strengthen their sense of belonging to their academic community. This article contributes to the literature on alternative, critical and decolonial forms of doing research by considering ways to implement methods that acknowledge the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the participants which strengthen humanising relationships, especially in marginalised contexts

Ethnography · Feeling · Focus group · Pedagogy · Qualitative research · Social science · Sociology · Anthropology · Multilingual Education and Policy · Psychology · Social Psychology